It was my sixth year of travels with the stove like the one below. I heat water nearly every day and cook most days, so my stove gets a good workout.
I arrived at the RTR this year and started up my stove, like the one above, using butane for fuel. The design of these small stoves is to depress a lever on the front to engage the butane tank. When I did this I heard a hiss of butane leaking.
The stove is designed to press the tank forward making a seal and depressing the pin on the butane tank to release butane gas into the controls. Then you turn the knob all the way to ignite the butane.
To try to repair the stove, I bent the metal that presses on the butane tank to make a tighter seal. This worked for a couple days and then I was cooking and saw a flame burning from a hole in the butane cover. This is not good!
I was driving to Parker, AZ Walmart to look for another butane stove, as I deemed the one I had as rubbish. Safety first! I was talking to my friend Joanne on the phone, who was still in Tucson and she offered to go to Walmart there to get one. I said that I was almost to Parker and would let her know if I was able to get a new one.
As it turned out the Walmart in Parker was sold out, so immediately called Joanne and she got one to bring to the RTR for me. I knew it was only going to be a single fuel stove (butane) but that’s what I mostly use, and I was in a need now.
On the way back to the RTR in Quartzsite, AZ the transfer station was open and I figured I would recycle the old one I had, as it was metal. I gave it to the attendant at the transfer station and he inquired about its status and I gave him the story. He said he knew someone that could fix it and I cautioned again about the leak and be careful.
Joanne showed up later that day with the stove she bought for me. I was very pleased to have a new one.
In the back of my head I did want to replace the butane only stove that Joanne got me, at some time in the future, with a dual fuel stove (butane/ propane). Well, on my second trip to visit my son in San Diego, I ordered the stove below from Amazon to meet me there.
This new stove was significantly more expensive than my first and the one that Joanne got me at Walmart. There were some advantages for the increase cost.
First, was the Walmart one was just a hair bigger and didn’t fit on my shelf as nicely as my old one or the more expensive one. This one has the same dimensions as my first one and this is nice.
Secondly, this stove has a built on wind guard, which is nice for cooking outside.
Third, the construction is better with a brass flame head that better directs the flame and the inner flame makes for more even heating.
Fourth, it puts out more heat, and to do this will use more fuel. The benefit of more heat is when heating water inside my camper it takes less time to heat the water.
So, why do I want a dual fuel stove?
Because in some remote areas I go butane fuel canisters are not that popular as 1lb propane tanks. When this happens I can cook with a propane tank.
Although I stay away from extreme cold, butaine does not vaporize below 31 deg F so it will not ignite. Propane to the rescue if I have this problem.
Some butane cans have some propane mixed in to help or you can put a butane bottle in your coat with you, as once you start cooking some flame heat does radiate to the butane stove cover. Well, when I want to get the stove running I don’t want to work at it.
So far the new stove is great.
Brent
macaloney@hotmail.com
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